Minor Items Homeowners Insurance Won’t Cover

Published: December 14, 2015

It’s like squirrels collectively go crazy this time of year. They’re everywhere -- digging, hunting, burying and looking for a place to spend the winter. Wait a second … does it sound like there’s something in your wall?

That’s right. Sometimes your house looks like the best place for a squirrel or mouse to spend the winter. And if they curl up in your walls for their long winter’s nap, they can wreak havoc. They can chew through electrical wires, leave droppings everywhere or choose to, ahem, shuffle off this mortal coil and leave a horrible stench in their wake.

The bad news is that homeowners insurance often doesn’t cover rodent damage (FYI -- if a reindeer falls through your skylight on Christmas Eve or loses its way in the dark and crashes into your living room, that damage likely will be covered).

Other minor items that aren’t covered are things like losing a freezer full of frozen meat during a power outage or having a power surge damage your electronics (depending on what caused the electrical problems in the first place). And if your home is damaged in a catastrophe, like a fire, insurance will cover repairs but won’t cover code upgrades.

You don’t want to be blindsided by these things when your Christmas lights are flickering because a rodent chewed its way through your wiring. Have a frank conversation with your insurance agent before you have problems so you know exactly what to expect.

J.K. Olivieri Insurance Agency, Inc. is an independent insurance agency founded in 1979 which represents a number of major insurance companies. Our mission is to protect our clients’ financial future. We feel our role as an insurance agency is to assist our clients in selecting the best possible programs to fill their specific needs. In doing so, we shall research and present our clients with the best possible programs available at the best possible prices.